YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND a reflection for October 11 2009

[Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD]

You Are One Of A Kind

A Reflection for October 11, 2009

by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans
of Divine Mercy

Reformed Catholic Church New England

www.missionstsergius.org



When I was preaching a sermon on a recent Sunday one of the members of
the Faith Community said to me, “You Are One of a kind” to which I
replied “Is that a good thing or a bad thing”, they replied; “Very
Good”.

Later I began to ponder on this exchange during the middle of my
sermon which was on God’s infinite love for ALL His children. The more
I pondered it the more I came to realize that indeed it is a wonderful
thing that God has created each of us different.

We have unique genes which separates us from each other and from all
the other members of our family. Our children are different from us in
some unique way and not exactly a clone of us.

That is the wonder of God’s creation. No two things are exactly alike
and for that reason we need to acknowledge and rejoice in that
difference. This past week I attended a Spiritual Directors Workshop
which centered on the universality of God. It asked us to find God in
all things in the universe.

When we recognize the uniqueness of nature and the universe and the
order of it all we can not but see the power of God.

In the first reading for this Sunday from Wisdom 7:7-11 we read the
following; "I prayed, and understanding was given me; I entreated, and
the spirit of Wisdom came to me. I esteemed her more than scepters and
thrones; compared with her, I held riches as nothing. I reckoned no
priceless stone to be her peer, for compared with her, all gold is a
pinch of sand, and beside her silver ranks as mud. I loved her more
than health or beauty, preferred her to the light, since her radiance
never sleeps. In her company all good things came to me, at her hands
riches not to be numbered."

The first Reading from Hebrews 4:12-13 says; "The word of God is
something alive and active."

God is alive and in every thing that exists, all things are brought
into existence by and through God and all are different.

Just imagine how dull and uninteresting this world would be if every
person looked and acted exactly like the other, if every flower was
the exactly the same, smelled and looked and the same color. Every day
was exactly like the day before. Think about the film GROUNDHOG DAY
were Phil (Bill Murray) keeps repeating the same thing day after day.

God, in His wisdom knows how bored we humans can get when our lives
become dull.

He also knew that without diversity we would not have developed and
grown as we have but would have remained the same as the day Adam and
Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden for succumbing to the
temptations of Satan.

If every person were a genius in the same field we would not have the
scientific advancements we have achieved. Our world would have
remained as it was 13.7 Billion years ago when God brought it into
being.

God gave every person uniqueness and special gifts, as we are reminded
in Romans 12:4-11 “For, as in one body we have many members, but all
the members have not the same office; thus we, [being] many, are one
body in Christ, and each one members one with the other. But having
different gifts, according to the grace which has been given to you”
and again in First Corinthians 12 “Now there are varieties of gifts,
but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the
same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works
all things.... and all the members of the body, though they are many,
are one body, so also is Christ.”

God, who is perfection, created people different for reasons only He
knows. God had a purpose for all things that he created and continues
to create as this universe expands.

We need to respect not only every human person but all of God’s
creation for we are all united together with each other and all that
is a part of the universe. God is found in all things, even those we
consider bad, if we look for God in all things.

We have no right to question God, who is perfection, but we need to be
grateful that God did create us with diversity and difference. We need
to glorify god for the differences He has created and not exclude
anyone because they do not conform to our idea of what people should
be.

We need to use God’s gifts to lift up those who are disheartened and
always remember the words found in Matthew 7:10-12; “If you, then,
though you are Imperfect, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to
those who ask him!" AMEN